News and such

Shared Road 

This aching heart of mine requires not a soothing hand,
That calms so many souls battered by time and distance
That I might rest in sleep as if the world had too,

This tired soul yearns not for the ecstasy of nirvana 
That realises the perfection of self, at a distance
That floats above, far from a madding crowd

This broken body cries not because of past hurts
That gnaw and grind below a surface
That denies, “Oh the pain!”

Such miseries as I have, 
Such anguish that invades my soul
Such anger disturbing thoughts that pick flesh,
Such and such a malady that courses through my veins
Will find relief if only we can walk together.

A heaven alone is no heaven at all.

Still? 

There comes a time with intrusions that haunt are allowed to sleep, to quieten, so that I might breath.

When all is said
And all is done
When lights no longer sting
These impatient eyes
 
When darkness finds its own emptiness
 
At the dawn of dusk
 
Unfettered by the concerns of
Fouled flesh
Or shadowy voices bathed in
Past offences,
 
And unreasonable joy
 
Let me sleep in Peace

Churches 

Oddly enough I am optimistic and I think of myself as being connected, connected to humanity and our glory, connected to nature, our mother. Let me love and offer my hand as best I can, that is the sound, the music I follow.

A long way from home 
The bells ring.
 
Far from grinding fear,
The bells ring.
 
In the dark of night as cats search for prey,
The bells ring.
 
When forgetting feeds itself on myths,
The bells ring
 
Attracting the foolish
Welcoming the tainted
 
The bells ring!
 
Faded glories, false stories
Comforting illusions
 
There is no need to question, to doubt, to wonder,
Just listen to the bells
As they ring, and ring
A drowning cacophony.

Light Dance 

Light is a wonderful thing. Like sound it sometimes plays tricks on us. What we think we see, what we are sure is before our eyes, turns out to be something else. Be sure to gently focus because you just might be pleasantly surprised by the vision before you. But be careful not to force, your pre-judgement could just get in the way!

It seemed 
That I 
Had been this way before.
 
The road 
I walked
Was oh so familiar.
 
Each rock, crevice, the growths between
Bushes so green, dangers unseen
Snake in that grass, ever changing
Chameleon, bugs that bothered darkness
That smothered the light wanting to brighten
My way,
An uncanny likeness to somewhere
I’d been before.
 
It seemed
The way
Held old familiar signs,
 
Signals 
Of time
A memory ago.
 
The colours of leaves, the branches
Willow bent, overgrown grass, sounds
In the night, a day without end
Meeting darkness again, yellows
Tarnished Greens, faded blues, fuchsias and browns,
Jaded earth hues, oh, oh, oh, could it be I’d
Been here before?
 
But No!  I see it’s Just
The trembling light
 
Reminding me of where
I used to be,
 
Lest I forget to rejoice,
Lest I fail to give voice
To the Angel in me 
And the Beauty of you.

A Poetic Journey 

For some time I have been, quietly, under the cover of silence, writing poems, from time to time when images flashed across my view. I have now decided to allow those words to live in public. So from today, every so often, I will post a poem and a link to an audio version. I love reciting poems almost more than writing them.

I hope you like it.

Shared Road

This aching heart of mine requires not a soothing hand,
That calms so many souls battered by time and distance
That I might rest in sleep as if the world had too,
This tired soul yearns not for the ecstasy of nirvana 
That realises the perfection of self, at a distance
That floats above, far from a madding crowd
This broken body cries not because of past hurts
That gnaw and grind below a surface
That denies, “Oh the pain!”
Such miseries as I have, 
Such anguish that invades my soul
Such anger disturbing thoughts that pick flesh,
Such and such a malady that courses through my veins
Will find relief if only we can walk together..

A heaven alone is no heaven at all.

South Korean Residency   

I have been in South Korea for the past 2 weeks, an artistic rescidency with choreographer Mehdi Farajpour. When not rehearsing the performance I have spent my time walking, watching and writing new songs. I have also taken lots of pictures, some of which I hope to present in an exposition. We will be here for another week, the performance is this weekend. 

This has been such a wonderful experience, time spent creating and being with creators, eating, laughing, walking and even sailing together. Just the thing to get the creative juices moving. Another album in the making perhaps, yes.

What’s In A Standard?  

Well a lot in fact. Standards are songs that have proven to be ever malleable, soft yet durable, and pleasing as well. Last Saturday I played the Bab-Ilo in Paris (one of my favourite jazz clubs),  with a programme of “ standards.” I decided to emphasise that fact in my publicity simply because recently one of my students asked me “do you ever do just songs? I would love to hear you sing songs.” By “just songs” she really meant, straight, unbent, as written. I tried, as I always have, to explain to her that I am a jazz musician, and that she is indeed a student of a Jazz musician! Hum?

She of course came to the concert, and enjoyed the deconstructed and reconstructed standards on offer, and little by little she begins to not only understand, but also to appreciate the beauty of improvised music, and even eventually to enjoy doing it herself. 

The wonder of creating is for everyone.

An Incredible Vision 

It is so easy to slip into despair if you forget. It is easy to huddle in your sacred corner if you turn away. It is easy to ignore the other, cloaked in cords of fear. But if you just turn and remember the laughter and hugs, that beauty within, those times when a smile from a stranger lit your heart, an incredible vision will appear. Today is not the day to say no, but to affirm a yes. By embracing the light we thus disperse the dark. It is there, waiting only for your encouragement.

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

Toni Morrison on Art and Despair, via BrainPickings

An Incredible Vision 

It is so easy to slip into despair if you forget. It is easy to huddle in your sacred corner if you turn away. It is easy to ignore the other, cloaked in cords of fear. But if you just turn and remember the laughter and hugs, that beauty within, those times when a smile from a stranger lit your heart, an incredible vision will appear. Today is not the day to say no, but to affirm a yes. By embracing the light we thus disperse the dark. It is there, waiting only for your encouragement.

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

Toni Morrison on Art and Despair, via BrainPickings

After Switzerland 

Had a great time with the African Jazz Quartet in Hermance, Switzerland for Festival Jazz Sur La Plage. There was a wonderful welcoming crowd, and I must admit we were flipping' brilliant. And yes I am modest. Now I am
on the hunt for more festivals, more singing, more of life's magnificence. Hope to see you all sometime soon at an event to be announced.
Gwen
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